Static Stretching Reshapes Post-RT Recovery

NCT07649785 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 353/2025 SS
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 28
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This experimental study investigates the acute cardiovascular and local recovery to a single session of resistance training, with and without additional static stretching, compared with a resting control condition. Participants are allocated to one of three groups (control, resistance training, resistance training plus static stretching) and assessed at baseline, immediately after the session, and 30 minutes post-exercise. Primary outcomes include rate-pressure product and local muscle oxygen saturation, while secondary outcomes include heart rate, blood pressure, brachial artery diameter, tissue hardness, and pressure pain threshold. These measures are used to characterize the short-term effects of the different experimental conditions on systemic hemodynamic load, vascular response, local muscle oxygenation, mechanical tissue status, and pressure pain sensitivity during early recovery.

Conditions

Healthy; Healthy Subjects (HS); Cardiovascular Adaption; Stretching; Recovery Outcomes

Keywords

stretching; static stretching; recovery; resistance training; oxygenation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Rate-Pressure Product (RPP)

  Rate-pressure product (RPP) will be used as an index of myocardial workload and hemodynamic load during early post-exercise recovery. RPP will be calculated as heart rate multiplied by systolic blood pressure (Omron MX3 Plus). Heart rate and systolic blood pressure will be measured under standardized resting conditions at each time point.

  3 times (Baseline, immediately after intervantion and 30 minutes after intervention) for each condition (CC, RT, RT+ST)

• Local Muscle Oxygen Saturation (SmO₂)

  Local muscle oxygen saturation (SmO₂) will be assessed using near-infrared spectroscopy (Moxy Monitor). The sensor will be positioned over the target muscle region and secured to minimize movement artifacts. SmO₂ will be recorded as a local index of the balance between oxygen delivery and oxygen utilization within the sampled muscle region.

  Time Frame: 3 times (Baseline, immediately after intervantion and 30 minutes after intervention) for each condition (CC, RT, RT+ST)

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Brachial Artery diameter

  Time Frame: 3 times (Baseline, immediately after intervention, and 30 minutes after intervention) for each condition (CC, RT, RT+SS)

• Tissue Hardness (TH)

  Time Frame: 3 times (Baseline, immediately after intervention, and 30 minutes after intervention) for each condition (CC, RT, RT+SS)

• Pain pressure Threshold(PPT)

  Time Frame: 3 times (Baseline, immediately after intervention, and 30 minutes after intervention) for each condition (CC, RT, RT+SS)

Study Arms (3)

RT

EXPERIMENTAL

Resistance Training

Other: Resistance Training

RT+SS

EXPERIMENTAL

Resistance Training + Static Stretching

Other: Resistance training + Static Stretching

Control Condition(CC)

NO INTERVENTION

participants sat silently on a chair without performing any train

Interventions

Resistance Training OTHER

Participants assigned to this group will complete a single supervised upper body resistance training session. The protocol includes bench presses and bicep curls performed at 100% of the individual's 8-rep max, for 4 sets of 8 reps, with standardized rest intervals between sets of 2 minutes. The total duration of the session is approximately 20-25 minutes and does not include any additional static stretching beyond the standardized warm-up.

RT

Resistance training + Static Stretching OTHER

Participants assigned to this group will complete a single supervised upper body resistance training session. The protocol includes bench presses and bicep curls performed at 100% of the individual's 8-rep max, for 4 sets of 8 reps, with standardized rest intervals between sets of 2 minutes. The total duration of the session is approximately 20-25 minutes .Immediately after the resistance exercises, they will complete a structured static stretching protocol targeting the trained muscle groups (pectoralis and elbow flexor), with each stretch held for about 30 seconds and repeated for several sets. The additional stretching lasts 12 minutes, for a total session duration of about 30-35 minutes.

RT+SS

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 55 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• healthy male participants ≥ 18 years old

You may not qualify if:

• orthopedic disorders
• neurological disorders
• metabolic disorders
• cardovascular disorders

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Palermo: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Palermo

Palermo, Italy, 90144, Italy

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Resistance Training; Muscle Stretching Exercises

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Exercise Therapy; Rehabilitation; Aftercare; Continuity of Patient Care; Patient Care; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Physical Conditioning, Human; Exercise; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Ewan Thomas, Associate Professor in Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 10, 2026
• First Posted: June 16, 2026
• Study Start: January 12, 2026
• Primary Completion: March 10, 2026
• Study Completion: March 10, 2026
• Last Updated: June 16, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

IT (1)